Marin County
Marin's county seat: old downtown, hillside neighborhoods, bay at the edge
San Rafael is Marin's county seat and its largest city, with an old-fashioned downtown along Fourth Street, quiet hillside and canal neighborhoods, and the bay at its eastern edge. Peter grew up in Marin and sells across the county, so he knows which parts of San Rafael fit which buyers: walkable downtown condos, Gerstle Park Victorians, or hillside homes with bay views.
Why people love it
The downtown along Fourth Street is one of Marin's liveliest: independent shops, the town's best restaurant row, art walks, and events through the summer. The Mission San Rafael, founded in 1817, marks the town's old-California roots.
San Rafael holds a wider price spread than most Marin towns: downtown condos, bungalows near the canal, Victorian-era homes in Gerstle Park, and hillside properties with bay views.
China Camp State Park, McNears Beach, and the Shoreline Park waterfront walkway give the city a genuine bay-side outdoor life, plus Ring Mountain's ridgeline trails at the south end.
US-101 runs through town, SMART rail stops downtown with connections to the Larkspur ferry, and downtown San Francisco runs roughly 20 to 40 minutes south depending on traffic.
Local favorites
My favorite way to test a neighborhood is still over coffee and dinner. These are real places in and around San Rafael that my clients and I keep going back to.
Parks & outdoor spaces
San Rafael packs a lot of outdoors in: nineteen city parks, a three-mile bay-front walkway, and two of Marin's favorite regional parks, China Camp and Ring Mountain, at its edges.
A working-waterfront state park on San Pablo Bay with hiking and biking trails, a historic Chinese shrimp-fishing village, and miles of quiet shoreline.
N San Pedro Rd, San Rafael, CA 94901
A Marin County preserve on the Tiburon peninsula edge with panoramic bay views and spring wildflowers, one of the county's favorite ridge hikes.
Off Paradise Dr, Tiburon, CA 94920
A Marin County beach park on San Pablo Bay with a swim lagoon, fishing pier, and picnic lawns, the closest real beach to central San Rafael.
201 Cantera Way, San Rafael, CA 94901
A long bay-front walkway and park at the city's east edge, great for walking, jogging, and watching the bay from the city.
East San Rafael waterfront, San Rafael, CA 94901
Schools
San Rafael is served by two public districts: San Rafael City Schools (elementaries through San Rafael and Terra Linda High Schools) covers central and southern San Rafael, while Miller Creek School District handles K-8 in the northern neighborhoods like Marinwood. Boundaries are street-by-street, and Peter confirms the assignment for each address.
A San Rafael City Schools elementary in the downtown hills, regularly among the district's most requested.
San Rafael, CA 94901
The comprehensive high school in the heart of San Rafael, a block off downtown, in the San Rafael City High School District.
185 Mission Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901
The district's second comprehensive high school, serving north San Rafael on Nova Albion Way.
320 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903
The Miller Creek district's middle school for Marinwood and north San Rafael neighborhoods.
San Rafael, CA 94903
Restaurants & dining
Fourth Street and the downtown blocks hold Marin's best restaurant row, with more favorites down by the Civic Center and the canal. A few Peter sends clients to:
The Puerto Rican kitchen that put San Rafael on Bay Area food maps, famous for its garlic mojo and mofongo. Expect a line at peak hours.
903 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901
Thin-crust East Coast-style pizza on Fourth Street, a dependable downtown favorite.
1242 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94901
A long-running Fourth Street Thai spot with a loyal following for curries and noodles.
1230 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94901
A casual all-day tap room and kitchen in the old police station block downtown, good for lunch or a pint.
1300 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Refined Italian dining near the Civic Center, one of Marin's most dependable special-occasion tables.
901 A St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Shopping & amenities
Downtown's Fourth Street holds the independent shops and the best people-watching, while the Third Street grocery block (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's) and the Bellam corridor cover everyday runs.
A full-service grocery on Third Street downtown, handy for a stop before heading up into the hills.
340 3rd St, San Rafael, CA 94901
A compact, well-loved Trader Joe's on Third Street with the usual finds and a friendly crew.
337 3rd St, San Rafael, CA 94901
The downtown Safeway on B Street, a convenient neighborhood grocery anchor.
700 B St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Fourth Street's mix of indie shops, restaurants, and galleries, with art walks and a summer evening farmers market.
Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Community & events
San Rafael's event calendar is one of the busiest in Marin: sidewalk chalk art in June, the county fair in July, car shows, porch concerts, and a summer evening market downtown. A few anchors of the year:
A June weekend when downtown streets become pastel canvases for chalk artists, one of Marin's signature events.
Downtown Fourth Street corridors, San Rafael, CA 94901
A May tradition of classic cars and a parade down Fourth Street, with downtown closed to traffic for the day.
Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901
A late-summer afternoon of free music played from porches, lawns, and driveways around the Gerstle Park neighborhood.
Gerstle Park area, San Rafael, CA 94901
Home types
Typical range across my markets: $400,000-$4,000,000. From condos to country acreage.
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I have lived this area my whole life and sold homes here for 21 years. Let's find yours.
